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This has gotta be the most beautiful cover I’ve ever had the privilege of revealing. Check it out… worthy of a covergasm!

And it’s about ANGELS!!!

When Julia climbs into a flaming car to save a trapped child, she’s left wondering why either of them survived. Then she learns that her father is the Archangel Gabriel, and that she is half human, half Archangel. With guidance from Michael, the most powerful Archangel, Julia sets out to discover her own history and explore her angelic powers.

But her journey is cut short when an evil force, invisible to human and angel alike, tears her world apart.

Now Julia must fight through her despair, harness her newfound gifts, and risk her very soul to stop the A’nwel and protect the family she never knew she had. What she doesn’t know is that Archangels have secrets too.

And remember my earlier post about writing bold? Michelle L. Johnson is one woman who does this flawlessly. Her writing is never timid. She is eloquent with words to a degree I admire so much, and I cannot wait for this book to come out. And posters. And bookmarks. Pretty much anything with the picture on this cover on it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michelle L. Johnson was born in Ohio and adopted by Canadians. They traveled all over North America, and when they weren’t on the road Michelle could be found with her nose buried deeply in the pages of a book.

With all of her travels and adventures, she hopes to bring some of her unique perspective to the pages and to entertain others the way all of her heroes have for her.

When she’s not hanging out with her feathered friends, she’s busy being a literary agent with Inklings Literary Agency.

That is my life, these days! Preparing a manuscript for submission to a major publishing house. I’m terrified and trying to get each word just right, just so, each sentence more captivating than the last.

I submitted my manuscript to a publisher, who asked to meet with me after he read the first chapter. He said he had 46 notes to review with me, a number that disturbed me.

I was right to be disturbed by his assessment, as he was far less than thrilled with the sample pages I provided. But this particular publisher was more than helpful, regardless… He offered to set me up with an already-published author for some guidance and we talked for over an hour about writing and parenting. Even though the meeting was a rejection, it was educational and extremely beneficial and he seconded what Cathy Ostlere (award-winning author of Karma) told me: the first chapter needs to begin with action.

He gave me some books to read and I left the meeting pondering the female character of my book. Do I actually like her? Do I want to change her altogether?

I sat down with Ireene and hashed out some ideas. Ireene has a unique perspective on things, being very similar to me in attitude and preferences and yet somehow a stronger-willed individual than myself. We came up with a few ideas and I set to work.

34 pages into the re-write, I questioned my own motives. Was I rewriting the character because she did not fit the story, or because she did not fit one particular publisher’s ideals for the way I want to tell the story? Was I overreacting to the rejection and trying to adjust the story too severely?

I may still continue with the complete adaptation of the main female character, or I may not. But I did write a new version of the first chapter, opening with action and concise thought rather than vague reasoning and discretion. I will continue with both ideas until something just clicks and I know it’s right.

After I forwarded the new chapter to Cathy Ostlere, I received a quick reply saying that she is making some contacts for me with the synopsis of my book. CUE EXCITED SQUEALING HERE. I hope something comes of that, but if not, at least my confidence got a much-needed boost. I’m going to simply press the pause on the rewrite of the first book until I’m more decided (and until after I get Ireene’s impression of the rewrite) and proceed with the rewrite of the second, which I am confident about.

Onward and upward as always, refusing to judge myself based on one publisher’s opinion!

Making that magical connection requires work, attention to detail and caution in all areas of life.

I made a magical connection with my husband. It’s true love, the sappy bullshit we try to leave out of adult fiction because it’s never as perfect as the fairy tales make it seem. That connection takes work, too, in the form of pursuit, commitment, maintenance and attention to the little things, while practicing mature problem-solving for the big things. The good times feel magical and the hard times feel like work. Being married is every bit as much something you continuallydo as something you have become.

The same holds true for commitments like work and school. If you slack off, fail to pursue aggressively or refuse to dedicate time to either, the endeavors will fail. It is not a matter of wanting that paycheque or degree badly enough, it is a matter of taking active steps to obtain it.

I could make the same argument for weight loss, for conflict resolution, for an audition or for raising a healthy, well-grounded adult from childhood. You will only see as much result and reward as the effort you put forth.

My writing brings me to this conclusion today, as I have sent out more query letters and continued to expand my network on Twitter (naomisarah1 by the way). I poured my soul, hour after exhausted hour into my books over the last year and have spent countless nights perfecting that damned pitch letter. Attending the Writers Guild of Alberta conference last week granted me the best connections thus far, yet it occurs to me that this is still not enough.

But what is left to do? More queries, obviously and more connecting. Perhaps cold-calls to agencies, to ask if they are accepting query letters from unpublished authors. More research on more agencies, publishers and another week of nights spent immersed in editing.

I love what I do. Writing makes me a healthier person. I have the natural gifts to succeed and the dedication to pursue the goal of becoming published with all of my being. But passivity will gain me no ground, neither will wallowing in defeat as I anticipate the rejections tumbling in one at a time.

Today, I want to make that magical connection that will gain me ground toward my goals. And I will seek that connection day after day until it happens, at which point the real work will begin. My dreams are reachable because my work ethic is relentless.

Besides… Every agent who passes my book by is missing out on one fucking amazing story.